Vegetable-topping machine



Feb. 21, 1928.

c. H. AYARS VEGETABLE TOPPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES: v

INVENTOR: Charles iii @0115;

' ATOEX Feb. 21, 1928;

C.H.AYARS VEGETABLE TOPPING mcnms Filed Jan. 16, 1926 3 Shets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: A INVENTOR: waw 3 6 49 8,

Feb. 21, 1928.

C. H. AYARS VEGETABLE TOPPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 YWTNESSES: INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITEDFSTATES CHARLES H. AYARS, F SALEM, NEW JERSEY ASSIGNOR TO AYARS PANY, OF SALEM, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE com- VEGETABLE-TOPIEINGMACHINE.

Application flied January 16, 1926. Serial No. 81,703.

My invention relates to vegetable topping machines. t t j In preparing vegetables, such as beets, for canningyit is essential that the tops should be removed and the object of my invention is to provide simple and effective means for removing the tops' This object, and other advaiitagcous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention,

Figure 2 a longitudinal section on line 22 of Figure 1, I

Figure 3 a section on line.3-3 of Fig.- ure 2, V

Figure 1 a fragmentary crosssection showing the cutting rollers in one position, Figure a like Viewv showing the cutting rollers in another position, j

Figure 6 a fragmentary plan view showing how the vegetables are positioned,

Figure 7 a like view showing a vegetable in,the position it occupies after the topis removed and before it is discharged from the machine, and

Figure 8a section on line 66 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the machine, 2 an inclined chute into which vegetables, such as beets, are fed, 3 rollers circular in cross section, 4t a pair of rollers of hexagonal cross section disposed between, closely adjacent to and parallel with rollers 3 and forming the bottom of the chute for the greater part of its length and 5 an inclined plate forming, with the sides of the chute, a hopper adapted to di root the vegetables to the upper faces of the rollers. Rollers 4. are rotatably mounted in hearings in brackets 6 carried by a frame member. Rollers 3 are rotatably mounted in bearings in arms 7 pivoted to rods 8 on each side of the machine and the arms on one side are connected with the arms on the other side by coiled springs 9, the tension of which presses rollers 3 toward rollers 4. Set screws 10 serve as adjustable stops to limit the inward movement of the arms. Gears 11 are fixed to one end of rollers3 and gears 12 are fixed to one end of rollers 4, the gear wheels on one roller meshing with the gears on adjacent rollers. Rotation is imparted to the gears, and consequently to the rollers, by a pulley 13 connected by a clutch 14 to a shaft 15 which carries at its inner end a bevel gear 16 which meshes with a bevel gear 17 fixed to one end of one of the hexagonal rollers 4. Actuation of the pulley imparts rotation in reverse direction to each of the rollers 33 and the adjacent hexagonal roller, therotation being, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, in such direction as to draw the vegetable tops downward betweenone cylindrical roller and the adjacent hexagonal roller.

When the machine is in operation the vegctables ride and slide on the tops of the rollers and their tops drop between a cylindrical roller and a hexagonal roller as shown in Figure 4, the tops arepinched off by an an gular part of the hexagonal roller, when it contacts with the cylindrical roller, as shown in Figure 5, the tops drop and the vegetables continue their travel until they drop from the tail end of the rollers into a suitable rcceptacle 18. i I j To insure proper positioning of the vegetable tops relatively to the rollers, I provide a plate 19 disposed, immediately above the rollers, centrally and longitudinally of the chute, and carrying a series of upwardly ex tending guide pins 20 which serve to arrest the tops and swing them into the gaps between the eylindrical rollers and the hexagonal rollers as shown in Figure 6, plate 19 also serving to prevent the vegetables on their tops from falling between the two hexagonal rollers. To insure against too rapnl progress of the vegetables on the int-lined rollers, I preferably provide a series of flexible bafiles 21 extending downwardly from bars 22 which extend transversely of the chute.

In case any solid foreign substance, such as a pebble, fed into the chute, the spring pressedrolls will permit it to pass between t the rollers without injury to the machine.

' stood that the various parts may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof,

and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. In a vegetable topping machine, the combination of a chute having a plurality of pairs of rollers, each pair of rollers consisting of a, roller of hexagonal cross section and a roller of circular cross section, means for directing the tops of the vegetables between the rollers of a pair and for preventing vegetables from falling between rollers of different pairs, and means comprising depending baflies having flexible contacting portions disposed above the chute tor controlling the progress of vegetables through the chute.

2. The combination for topping vegetables, of a chute, the bottom of saidchute consisting of pairs of rollers, one of the rollers of each said pair being of hexagonal cross sect-ion, means for rotating each roller of apair in a direction opposite to that of the other roller, means for feeding vegetables to the chute, means comprising a plurality of guide pins, each in the form of an upright rod with a portion bent longitudinally and positioned centrally of the chute l'or preventing the vegetables from coming in contact with two rollers of hexagonal cross section, said last means being adapted to direct the heads of vegetables between the rollers of a pair, and other means for retarding too rapid progress of the vegetables through the chute.

3. The combination in a vegetable topping machine of an inclined chute, rollers extending longitudinally of and forming the bottom of the chute, said rollers being adjust ably positioned to allow foreign solid matter to pass therebetween and formed in pairs comprising one circular non-cutting roller and one hexagonal cutting roller, the rollers of each pair rotating toward each other, means comprising a plurality oi guide pins disposed centrally and longitudinally of the chute immediately above the rollers to arrest the tops of the vegetables and direct them between a pair of rollers and prevent them from contacting between two cutting rollers, a series of flexible battles normally depending downwardly "from supports above and transversely of the chute for preventing 'too rapid progress of the vegetables down the chute, the baflles being positioned so that vegetables strike the flexible portions thereof and pass thereunder at retarded speed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. I I

CHARLES H. AYARS. 

